


Perfectly Imperfect

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You [25]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action, Angst, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Humor, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:02:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28665183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEThe Doctor is still dealing with the aftermath of meeting the Master again, but Mickey is ready to return to the prime universe's London, so the Doctor brings him to see Jackie for the first time in years. While they are there, Rose deals with the unspoken tension she has with Pete, and she and the Doctor continue their journey to solving their timeline.Mickey laughed and finished his toast. “Well, guess I should get ready. Is it weird I’m nervous?”“I should be more nervous than you,” Rose said with a small chuckle. “She’s likely to slap both me and the Doctor when she finds out we went to the parallel world again.”“Ah, well,” Mickey said. “She’ll slap me for staying.”“No,” Rose said. “But she did miss you.”
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030980
Comments: 2
Kudos: 130





	1. A Master of Pain

The Doctor was under the console making some repairs. Rose was with Mickey in the media room, watching a science fiction flick from the 20th century and trying to figure out if it was based on real events, and even though Rose insisted he watch it with them, he insisted he had work to do and told her to have fun and send him the most outrageous bits through their minds. 

She sent him most of the film, which made him smile. 

It had been two weeks since they found Mickey, and a lot had happened. 

They had to drop Jack back off in Cardiff not long after their trip to the stadium. Gwen needed him for some small domestic issue he assured them he would handle and they didn’t need to waste time worrying about, and Mickey wasn’t ready to go back to London or reintroduce himself to his old life, so they had been circling the stars, and it had been wonderful. 

They took a trip to Italy in the 33rd century and attended an arts festival. It had all gone smoothly, and Mickey couldn’t stop smiling and telling them how much he missed trips like that. The Doctor followed it up with a visit to the planet Raxicon, and they ended up having to solve an electrical failure that was draining the heart of the planet, and Mickey’s hacking skills saved the day. To celebrate, they visited Taurus, named after the constellation, but they were immediately captured and imprisoned because the Doctor forgot to send the code that told the local residents ‘I come in peace’ before he landed. 

That had been their favorite. 

The Doctor realized quickly what Rose had picked up on - that Mickey _was_ different. But it wasn’t bad. He was more confident and his deductive skills had improved, which had come in handy on a couple of occasions over the last two weeks. 

They had spent some time in the Vortex as well, and after their conversation under the real rosebud nebula, followed by the one they had under the projection, he and Rose had ultimately decided not to actively search for the gem or the chamber, and not to storm Ridgemont Entities again until something told them they needed to. It wasn’t the Doctor’s choice. He wanted to go confront Harold and Matt immediately and find out what they knew and shut it all down, but Rose’s Instincts were telling her they needed to be patient and live in the here and now, and he knew he needed to trust her. 

Whatever is supposed to take place...will. 

He was happy, though. Hope and relief were still at the core of his perspective, and he couldn’t quite shake the thought of children with Rose from his mind. It made his hearts flutter everytime she looked at him. He had to store the flashes he was creating in his head of her belly growing round or a small blonde head running around the console away in the part of his mind where she couldn’t see them, because he didn’t want her to feel pressured and he didn’t want to feel embarrassed by just how much he wanted it. 

Something shifted in him when he thought she was pregnant. His impossible human. 

Even still, because his brain was too large and bad habits are hard to break, and he tended to always sprinkle some dread into his thoughts when he’s feeling too happy, he found himself also thinking about the Master, lingering in the back of his mind. And that is what he was thinking about now, as he twisted the wrench and scanned some wires, and he took a deep breath. 

He hadn’t allowed himself to fully process the fact that he was the one behind the Sidekicks. That he was even alive. That he somehow had managed to keep tabs on him from the other universe, because how else would he have known about Rose?

He must have been that anonymous donor Jerry told them about. 

He clenched his jaw and found some of his mental blocks were going up, and he felt Rose send him a wave of comfort, already aware of what he was thinking about. He sighed and placed the wrench on the ground, taking a break for a moment. 

_Want me to come over?_

_No, I’m okay. I’m sorry._

He knew she probably wasn’t watching the movie now, and he wanted to stop these thoughts so she could relax. He knew her, and if he put his blocks up entirely she’d run out here anyway, but he had opened the can of worms and they were wiggling in his mind, baiting him to let the Master back into his thoughts. The worms won. 

It all just felt...unbelievable. But this timeline is hidden to him, a fact that often makes him frustrated and a little angry, and he was trying to not beat himself up over the fact that he didn’t see this coming. He also tried to take comfort in the fact that he was trapped. But even that thought also made him sad because he knew it meant any chance of reconnection was severed forever. 

Then again, he had centuries of attempted reconnections, and the Master never took them. 

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. Donna once told him, months ago, that she thought he liked to be broken, and in this moment it truly felt that way. 

Rose sent him a flash of a robot tripping over another robot, and he stiffened on the floor, amazed that she was able to make him smile when he was feeling like this. 

_Take a break and come watch. You need it._

He sighed and got up. He brushed off his trousers and washed his hands before he made his way to the media room, sitting down next to Rose silently and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Mickey was roaring in laughter, thinking the entire film was bonkers. The Doctor found that he was laughing too, and he leaned his head on Rose’s. 

_Thank you._

_What I’m here for._

He smiled at her, and fought the urge to catch her in a long kiss with Mickey right there, blissfully unaware of the mental turmoil he was going through and how easily his wife was able to help him out of it, so instead he kissed her forehead and pulled her body closer, the need to simply have her touching him overtaking all his other senses. 

And suddenly, like clockwork, both of them found themselves in that pure state of _want,_ the one that still boggles his mind, and he found the movie impossible to focus on. 

The Master was shelved in his brain too, and he clenched his jaw as Rose started to tease him, fully aware of what she was doing as she pulled her favorite throw blanket over both of their legs and shoulders and left her hand on his thigh. 

She started to write the word ‘forever’ in Gallifreyan, followed by his name with her fingers, and he was done for. 

He tried to keep incredibly still and immediately relied on his respiratory bypass. Mickey had no idea what was going on, which only enabled Rose further, and her hand moved from his thigh to the zipper of his trousers. 

She let out a forced and rather loud laugh as she unzipped them, and the Doctor bit his cheek so hard he tasted a little blood. 

_Stop._

_Sorry._

He swallowed hard and she pulled her hand back, resting it in her lap instead. They sat there for a moment, heat and desire swimming between them at levels that were growing dangerous by the second, because he was moments away from throwing Mickey out of the room and taking her on the floor or maybe the against wall before the TARDIS had a chance to enable a sound barrier. 

_No arguments from me._

He bit his cheek again and restrained himself, however, and mentally patted himself on the back. Their hands stayed in place for a moment longer, but Rose pressed her body further into his side and he caught a whiff of sweet honey, and the Doctor felt it only fair to show her _exactly_ what her little escapade was doing to him, and she felt her breath hitch when his cool hands slipped under her shirt and crawled up to her bra, dipping underneath and rubbing small circles on her skin beneath the many layers they were hiding under. 

_Stay still,_ he reminded her in her mind, and a rush of heat pooled in her, which made him click his teeth against his jaw. He rubbed more, and Rose was starting to squirm a little in his arms. 

_Can’t do that, love. Gotta stay still,_ he told her, but he was swallowing his own moans and was equally affected by it all. Somehow Mickey still had no idea, and the Doctor pulled his hand away and moved down to her waistband. He didn’t cross the threshold, but he brushed his hands along her waist, tantalizing and teasing, and Mickey was still laughing at the film. 

He scratched her hip with his thumb and moved down to her thigh, where he began to write the word ‘forever’ in Gallifreyan, but made it a point to brush his finger a little higher and touch a sensitive and throbbing part of her body as he started a new letter. 

Her breath hitched. 

_Stay. Still._

_Bedroom. Now._

He didn’t need to be told twice. He pulled away from her and faked a yawn, then stood up and moved behind the sofa. “Gonna head to bed. Night, Mickey.” 

“Kay, yeah, night Doctor,” he said, still watching the film with laugh lines stitched to his face. 

Rose didn’t say anything, far too turned on to trust her voice in that moment and just ran out of the room. Mickey was about to say something, but then grimaced, only then becoming aware of what was probably happening, and he turned the volume up on the film with a shake of his head. 

The Doctor slammed his mouth onto Rose’s the second they were in the hallway, and he pushed her backwards towards their bedroom. “That was nearly impossible...You...” he whispered. 

“Yeah, you too…” she said, biting his lip. They said the word ‘voracious’ together, and their tongues tangoed in a kiss. The TARDIS opened the door for them and they were gasping and panting as Rose accidentally knocked over everything on their dresser, which made him smile and pull her to him, his tongue trailing her neck. They frantically tore off each other’s clothes, leaving them all around the room and were kissing everywhere but the bed. 

“I was so close to just -” the Doctor said, but Rose shut him up with a kiss. He had her slammed against the wall with his hand supporting both of them, and neither tried to stay still or quiet anymore. 

“Want you,” she said, “Now.” He growled and finally moved her to the bed, hovering above her. 

“I always want you,” he whispered, his lips on her neck. She moaned and gripped him closer. “I want your lips,” he said, kissing her, “your mind,” he said, pressing his lips to her temple, “your heart,” he whispered, and kissed her in between her breasts, “these, of course,” he said, giving each one some special attention. 

“What else?” she panted, and he grinned wolfishly at her. 

“Mmm, your body, Rose. Always, everywhere, all the time,” he said, and hissed as she moved against him. “You’re so beautiful.” 

She smiled, a burst of love piercing through the desire, and he kissed her again. 

He needed her. In every way. 

He was rolling with her, his eyes closed and his forehead on her cheek, and she had both legs wrapped securely around him. Minds were open with hearts and souls, and the Doctor suddenly started rattling off words in Gallifreyan, everything from ‘love’ to ‘Rose’ to ‘perfect’ to ‘need’ to ‘come.’ 

She buckled against him and the supernova burst around them, carrying them both along for the ride, and the Doctor pressed his lips to her hair. They caught their breath for a moment, before the Doctor just looked at her and smiled. 

“We should do things like that more often,” Rose said, and he smiled. 

“Careful what you wish for, Rose Tyler,” he whispered, and kissed her again.“I have wonderful self control.” 

“No you don’t,” she said, laughing at him, and he just cupped his hands to her face, rubbing his thumb along her cheek. 

“Thank you. For earlier,” he whispered. 

“My Doctor,” she said, “I love you.” 

“I love you,” he murmured, and he rolled to the side, wrapping his arms around her. 

With all the missions they had gone on recently, coupled with the fact that they were trying really hard to help Mickey adjust, they had only made love once, and he had clearly missed her. She was thinking the same thing, and they both smiled at each other and kissed again. 

He vowed in that moment never to go that long again. She kissed his chest and hummed against him. 

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” Rose asked after a while, her finger tracing his name again on his skin. He shrugged. 

“Anything. We’ll ask Mickey,” he said. Rose just nodded and looked up at him, rubbing her lips together. 

“He should meet Martha and Donna,” she whispered. “When he’s ready, but, just a thought.” 

“It’s a great thought,” the Doctor said. Rose smiled and looked up at the ceiling, and began to play with the clock around her neck. The Doctor watched, captivated, and she closed her eyes. He closed his as well, and they both felt the twist and pull of time under their feet as they drifted to sleep.


	2. The Domestic Approach

The next morning, Rose was eating toast and drinking tea as the Doctor was giving her another ramble on why strawberry jam is better than grape on toast but both were better than anything with pears when Mickey walked in, smirking at them. 

“You still have a thing against pears, Doctor?” he asked amused, and the Doctor just made a face, sticking his tongue out of his mouth like he had just tasted one as was trying to pretend it never happened. Rose rolled her eyes and looked at Mickey, who sat across from her and grabbed his own slice of bread. 

“You get to pick what we do today,” Rose said with a smile. He looked at her, his knife scraping butter onto his bread, and he took a deep breath. 

“I...I think I’m ready to go to London, actually. The proper London, get a start on this whole...transition thing,” he said. “I know I can’t stay here forever, you two being married and all.” 

“No, it’s okay, I mean - “ Rose began, but Mickey just gave her a look. 

He almost said he felt bad they had to sneak around to shag in their own home last night with him there, but he didn’t. He didn’t feel like listening to Rose’s excuses or the Doctor’s deflection, so he just shook his head. 

There was no jealousy in him at this thought, he realized, and he smiled to himself. It only took six years and a separate universe, but he was _finally_ over Rose Tyler. “Nah, I ‘preciate that, but...it’s time.” 

The Doctor took a sip of his tea and sat next to his wife. “We have some friends we want you to meet. They travel with us about once, sometimes twice a month. We could set up a similar thing, if you want. Together or separate or whatever.” 

“Sure,” Mickey said. “Jack offered me a job, too...I’m...thinking about it.” 

“You’d be great,” Rose said. “After what we’ve seen these last couple weeks, you’d be their best by far. Don’t tell Jack.” 

She winked at him and Mickey smiled and laughed, chewing his toast. “Thanks.” 

“You wanna see mum?” Rose asked. Mickey just smiled widely. The Doctor stood and wiped his hands on his pants, which Rose glared at him for. He ignored her. 

“Next stop, Jackie Tyler!” he said. “Don’t let me forget the puzzle I got Tony, Rose!” 

He was running to the console, and Rose bit her lip. Mickey looked at her. “He seems to really love that kid,” he said softly. It was another thing he realized right away had changed about the Doctor since he last traveled with them. Rose nodded, also thinking about how often the Doctor goes out of his way on their travels now to find some toy to bring back to her brother. She knows it's partly because he’ll get to play with them too, but she knows it's mostly because he loves when he calls him ‘Uncle Doctor.’ 

“Oh, he does,” Rose said. “It doesn’t bode well for me in the future.” 

Mickey laughed and finished his toast. “Well, guess I should get ready. Is it weird I’m nervous?” 

“I should be more nervous than you,” Rose said with a small chuckle. “She’s likely to slap both me and the Doctor when she finds out we went to the parallel world again.” 

“Ah, well,” Mickey said. “She’ll slap me for staying.” 

“No,” Rose said. “But she did miss you.” 

Mickey just nodded, a lump in his throat as he stood up and walked away to change. Jackie was the closest thing to mother he had, and his heart was pounding at the thought of seeing her again. Rose quickly cleaned up all the plates and cups and moved to change as well, emerging in the console ten minutes later in jeans and a gray t-shirt. The Doctor had managed to throw his blue suit on and was sitting in the pilots seat. He smiled at her. 

“I was thinking,” the Doctor said. “We go in first, business as usual, then Mickey rings the bell.” 

“Look at you,” Rose said, sitting in his lap. “So into surprises all of a sudden.” 

“What? I like a good surprise,” he said, smiling at her. Mickey walked in then, and they told him their plan. He loved it. 

“Just give us about five minutes?” the Doctor said, and Rose’s heart stopped for a moment when she saw just how excited he was to this for Jackie. His own little Earth family. 

The domestic approach looked good on him. 

They hopped off the TARDIS and Jackie was already moving to the yard with Tony. He was bigger than he was at their wedding, and it boggled both of their minds how quickly he was growing up. Pete was at work, and Tony squealed as they ran across the grass, calling their names. “Hi, monster!’ 

The Doctor picked him up and spun him around, and Rose hugged her mum. “Hello!” 

“Hello, sweetheart!” she said, squeezing her. The Doctor had already given Tony his puzzle, unable to wait, and Rose just laughed as they ran inside to start putting it together in the living room. “How are you?” 

“Great,” Rose said, not trying to give anything away. Jackie started chatting away, much to Rose’s relief, about her friend Nancy and her new boyfriend, and they walked into the house together, immediately sitting on the couch as the Doctor and Tony were playing with the puzzle. 

They were all catching up, the air light and simple, when there was a knock at the door. 

“Oh, Doctor can you get that?” Jackie asked, content to stay on the couch with Rose. He frowned. 

“I’m busy,” he said, gesturing to the puzzle. 

“Oi! My house!” Jackie said and the Doctor just gave her a look. 

“Exactly, it’s your door,” he said, and he glanced at Rose, both hiding their smiles as Jackie grumbled and hit him on the back of the head, moving to the hall. 

She stared in utter shock, and Mickey just smiled at her. “Hi, Jackie.” 

“Oh, my GOD!” she shouted, and caught him in a hug, swinging from side to side. Rose picked Tony up, holding him on her hip as she and the Doctor watched from the archway, both grinning. “How are you here? Mickey!” 

“I hitched a ride,” he said, glancing over at the Doctor and Rose. She turned sharply, releasing Mickey to put her hands on her hips. 

“You knew?!” she shouted, and Rose just laughed. 

“It’s called a surprise, Mum. It was the Doctor’s idea,” she said. He just sighed and leaned against the wall, and Jackie stared at them. 

“But...how?” she asked. “Oh, my God. You went to that bloody universe again, didn’t you?!” 

The both opened their mouths, but shut them quickly, as Jackie began yelling at them about not being safe and how upset she was that they didn’t tell her. “And YOU,” she said, pointing her finger at the Doctor. “You told me it was impossible! You said -” 

“I know,” he said, and she saw a dark shadow cross his face as he avoided her gaze. “It just sort of happened.” 

She lowered her finger, and suddenly she cupped a hand to the Doctor’s cheek, remembering how he reacted when they met Martha all those months ago, and how plagued he was by that universe, and she knew immediately he had been terrified. “You’re both okay, then?” 

“We’re fine, Mum. I’m sorry. It’s all closed off, everything is fine,” Rose said, pulling her into a hug. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too, sweetheart,” she whispered, rubbing her back. “Come here, you idiot.” 

The Doctor groaned as she pulled him into a hug too, and they all separated a few moments later, turning back to Mickey, who was still on the porch. “What are you doing? Come inside for heaven’s sake!” 

Mickey smiled and crossed through the archway, and his eyes locked with Tony’s. “Hello,” he said. “My name is Mickey, what’s yours?” 

“What’s your name, T-bird?” Rose asked. 

“Tony,” he said. He whispered something in Rose’s ear, who bit her lip. 

“He wants to know if you play with aliens like me and his Uncle Doctor?” she asked, and the Doctor winked at his nephew. 

Mickey cleared his throat. “Yeah, I do.” 

Tony smiled, and Rose put him down. He ran to Mickey and began to jump, grabbing his hand and leading him to the living room where the puzzle was on the table. Mickey just laughed, not quite used to overzealous children, and Rose moved to the couch, watching as suddenly the Doctor, Mickey and Tony were all working together. 

Tony didn’t entirely understand, but he still loved it. 

Jackie brought everyone some tea and sat beside Rose, and for the next couple of hours any problems the universe was facing were on hold. Mickey filled Jackie in on his time in the parallel universe. He didn’t tell her everything, but he made sure she knew he had been doing well and was simply ready for a change when he ran into the Doctor and Rose again, and he was thinking about joining Torchwood again. She told him she could talk to Pete, and suddenly Mickey realized he had two job offers just waiting for him, and he felt a little overwhelmed. 

He felt like he was home. 

They were laughing eventually, all sharing stories, and the Doctor gave up on the puzzle when Tony got distracted by other toys. He was sitting next to Rose, his hand drawing small circles on her arm, when Tony brought him a stuffed dragon Pete got him. 

“Are these real?” he asked. The Doctor narrowed his gaze and dropped his arm from around Rose, sitting forward on the cushion as he took the toy from Tony and examined it thoroughly. He lifted the wings, which made Tony laugh, he blew on its belly, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned it, and he looked at Tony very seriously. 

“Do me a favor?” he said, “Tickle it right...there.” 

Tony did as he was told, and suddenly the Doctor was using the dragon to tackle Tony to the ground, making his own roaring noises, and the young boy's laughter filled the room. Jackie’s eyes caught Rose’s, and she raised her eyebrows at her, giving Rose a look. Rose rolled her eyes, assuming her mother was probably making some snide comment. 

Mickey stared at the exchange as well, finding it oddly moving, and the Doctor and Tony just laughed, and the Doctor picked him up and they moved to the playroom. “Sometimes I think he’s just a kid in a Time Lord’s body,” Rose said laughing, and Jackie didn’t say anything. 

“Do you have a place to stay?” Jackie asked Mickey suddenly, who shook his head. “Oh, yes you do. You’ll stay here. We have a spare room.” 

“Thank you,” Mickey said, and Jackie kissed his cheek as she stood to take the cups and saucers back to the kitchen. Rose moved to help her. 

Jackie was washing and Rose was drying, and the silence was making Rose a little crazy. She set the final cup down on the counter and turned to her mother, giving her a knowing look. “Oh, just say it.” 

“Say what?” Jackie said, turning the sink off and drying her hands. Rose just shook her head at her. 

“Whatever you’re thinking. I saw that look back there, I know your big mouth wants to tell me something,” she said, poking her arm with her tongue in the corner of her mouth, caught in a smile. Jackie just sighed. 

“I was just thinking...I really underestimated both of you,” she said. “For a long time. Not so much recently, I s’pose, but...you two bring out the best in each other, mad as you both are. Every time you two come and visit, you’re both a little different. You’re a little more confident, sweetheart, and he’s...softer.” 

Rose just looked at her. “Thank you.” 

Jackie just smiled. “Can you imagine him pretending to be a dragon with a small boy when we first met him? That bloody leather jacket, he would have scoffed and darted out of here in a second.” 

“Yeah,” Rose whispered, leaning her head on her mother’s shoulder. “Or going out of his way to surprise you?” 

“Most he would have done then was a surprise heart attack, I reckon,” Jackie teased, and Rose just laughed. “My point is, sweetheart… I’ve seen a lot of marriages in my time. Been in two myself, but I’ve never, ever, seen two people so madly in love and so able to help each other. You make him better and he makes you better. And I’m sorry.” 

“What?” she said. “What for?” 

“I tried to keep you here so many times,” she said, hugging her. “I should have said this at the wedding but you two went and ran off like usual.” She was smiling despite the jab, and Rose felt her throat tighten. “You don’t belong here, Rose. You’re bigger than this place. You belong with him. Sort of seems like you were meant to be part of the stars.” 

Rose took a deep breath, and almost told her about Bad Wolf, but she didn’t. She didn’t know how. So she just kissed her cheek and hugged her, squeezing her just as the Doctor slid into the room. 

“Rose!” he cried, breathless. She pulled away and looked at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. His eyes were wide and he was in his socks, his tie was wrapped around his head, and he had thrown his suit coat off. 

“What are you doing?” she asked, biting her lip. He held his hand out. 

“I’m the dragon and I need a dragoness to track down the dragon trainer. It’s hide and go seek, come on!” he said, and grabbed her hand. 

“I would make fun of him but he just made my point,” Jackie said with a wink, and he stared at her. 

“What point? What’d I miss?!” he shouted, but Rose just pushed on his back. 

“Go on, then,” she said, and he chatted away at her, running after Tony.


	3. Family Isn't Always Blood

When Rose walked downstairs on the third day, wearing the Doctor’s undershirt and some pajama pants, she thought Mickey was being properly spoiled by Jackie, who had insisted on providing large breakfasts each morning so far, and today was no different. 

The entire countertop was covered in a variety of food, and Mickey had a stack of pancakes all to himself. 

“You know he’s nearly thirty now and is more than capable of feeding himself, right?” Rose asked, and Jackie scoffed and handed Rose a cuppa with a glare, which made her smile. 

“Oi, I like your mum’s pancakes!” Mickey protested with his mouth full, and Jackie hit him on the arm for being rude. Rose just shared a glance with him, hiding her laughter behind her mug when the Doctor walked in and grabbed a slice of bacon, leaning against the counter. 

“It is an excessive amount of food, Jackie,” he said, and she just sighed. 

“It’s not for you, then, if you all have so much to say about it!” she said, and took the strip of bacon from the Doctor’s hand. He said something under his breath Jackie couldn’t hear, but she threw a towel at him and told him to wash all the dishes, and because he knew better than to make his mother- in-law more angry than she already was, he did. 

The domestic approach. 

An hour later, Mickey was asleep, having eaten himself into a small food coma in a recliner when Pete walked through the door. They hadn’t seen too much of him, work had been keeping him pretty busy, and the Doctor smiled to himself as Tony bounded over to him screaming ‘daddy’ and begging to be picked up. Pete happily obliged, leaving the little guy on his hip as he walked into the living room and sat across from the Doctor and Rose, who were half paying attention to the telly and half taking turns writing words in Gallifreyan on each other’s hands with their fingers. 

It was driving the Doctor crazy, and Rose wasn’t doing too much better herself. 

“Hey,” Pete said, and Tony slid off of his lap and moved to Rose, who handed him her deactivated sonic screwdriver. 

“Hi,” she said, and Pete took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. 

“You both doing okay?” he asked. 

It was awkward. They just nodded and Pete mumbled something with the word ‘good’ in it, and Rose just bit her lip. Ever since he spilled the beans about their marriage to Jackie without talking to them about it first, there was an immediate irritation with this man that Rose couldn’t shake every time she was in a room alone with him. 

That, and they had been on a couple other smaller missions with Torchwood One since the Spoodles, and Pete _still_ treated Rose like she was extra baggage the Doctor was carrying around. 

Needless to say, it was awkward. 

The Doctor sensed it and rubbed ‘I love you’ in Gallifreyan on Rose’s hand as he and Pete made small talk, and she glanced over at Mickey, who had drool spilling onto his cheek as he snored. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Pete, who was suddenly handing the Doctor his tablet so he could take a look at some report. 

“That’s the radiation level?” the Doctor asked, and Rose realized she had missed the entire beginning of the conversation. 

“What’s going on?” she asked. The Doctor held the tablet between them and opened his mouth to fill her in, but Pete just laughed. 

“Oh, it’s okay, Rose, don’t worry about it. I just need the Doctor’s opinion on whether or not this site is worth investigating,” he said with a shrug. 

“Just his opinion, then?” Rose asked, her stomach already twisting into that familiar, irritated knot she was working so hard to keep untied. The Doctor looked at her. 

“Rose,” he said softly, but she just ignored him and looked at Pete. 

“Oh not this again,” he said. “It’s not something I need a thousand inputs on.” 

“Right,” she said. “‘Course.” 

The Doctor clenched his jaw and set the tablet on the table. “Pete, can I talk to you?” 

_I don’t need you to fight my battles for me, Doctor._

_And what? I’m just supposed to let you do whatever you’re doing right now?_

She pulled her hand out of his and stood up, leaving the room without another word. The Doctor sighed and Pete looked at him through hooded eyes, also sighing. 

“I’m trying,” he said. “I don’t know…” 

“Here’s a thought,” the Doctor said, his own irritation bubbling inside of him, “Stop treating her like a liability.” 

“She’s my daughter, I’m just trying to keep her safe,” Pete said, and the Doctor sighed. 

“She’s Jackie’s daughter,” he said softly. He didn’t mean it to sound so harsh, but Pete’s eyes darted to him in shock, and the Doctor just shrugged. “Which means she’s strong and stubborn and brilliant. And...trust me, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes trying to keep that woman safe. But...well...she doesn’t need protecting.” 

“Doesn’t mean you stop, though, does it?” Pete asked. The Doctor just smiled. 

“No,” he said. “But it means I trust her.” 

Pete didn’t say anything, and the Doctor clapped his hand to his knee as he stood up and went to find his wife, ignoring Mickey’s snores as he left the room. 

She was sitting on the porch in the backyard, looking up at the clouds. He sat down next to her silently, waiting to see if she would move away from him or let him stay, and when her head rested on his shoulder he let out a breath and kissed her hair. “I’m sorry,” he said. 

“No, it’s not you,” she groaned. “I just…” 

“I know,” he said. 

And she knew he did. And when she felt a few tears escape her eyes, and he wiped them away, she knew he knew where they were coming from. Even without all their bonds and connections. 

Because he was there, all those years ago, when she pushed her father out of harm’s way. When she caused a paradox to try and keep him with her. He saw her tears then, too. And that meant that he knew now, without her needing to say, that the tension she felt with this version of Pete ran deeper than Pete could ever understand. There was an ache in her heart caused from twenty years of potential memories, of missing her father so much and wishing he was there, and it not going the way she expected when she got that semi-second chance. It _hurt._

But the Doctor knew. He had held her that night as she sobbed on board the TARDIS. He had been so angry with her that day, but he still held her, letting her tears stain his leather jacket. 

“Ah, well…” he said, hearing her thoughts, “If I’m being honest, Rose, all that yelling I did that day... I may or may not have been freaking out a little over meeting your father and hearing him say he thought I was too old for you.” 

She laughed, knowing he was being a little serious, and he grinned at her. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too,” he whispered. “You’ve gotta just talk to him.” 

“Later,” she murmured. “Right now, I want to know which way you want to go.” 

“What?” he asked, a smile creeping onto his face. She nodded. 

“Which way do you want to go?” she repeated. “I’ve been practising. Next trip is on me.” 

“Really?” he asked, ignoring the pulse in his groin. She just bit her lip and looked at him. 

“Which way?” she whispered. Her eyes were dancing with his, and he found himself staring at her lips, before he sniffed and looked up at the clouds. 

“That way?” he asked, and he felt his hearts explode in his chest. She felt her tongue dart to the corner of her mouth as she followed where his finger was pointing with her eyes. Her head was touching his as she lifted her hand as well, and a shiver went down her spine. 

“That way?” she asked. 

“No wait,” he mumbled, about ready to stop her mouth with a kiss, “that way.” 

“That way?” she said, and she locked eyes with him. 

“Yeah, that way,” he said, and closed his eyes as his lips found hers. She moaned, and shifted so she was facing him, letting her hands play with the back of his hair. “You’re…” 

“Hm?” she asked, smiling as her lips found his cheek. 

“I don’t know,” he said, laughing as he kissed her again. “Right now I can’t think of words.” 

“Are you saying I’ve made you speechless?” she asked, amused. He just shook his head. 

“Mmm,” he whispered. “It’s not the first time.” They were kissing again, and it was slowly getting heated when they heard a banging on the window, and separated. Jackie was staring at them with a disapproving look as she walked away, and they both just laughed. “Wanna go now?” 

“Yes,” she admitted. “But we shouldn’t.” 

“Quite right,” he said, and stood up, holding his hand out to her. She took it, and he pulled her into a hug. She pulled back as they walked through the glass doors, and when they walked into the living room, Pete was gone. 

“Where’d he go?” Rose asked. Jackie sighed, helping clean up some of Tony’s toys. 

“He’s running off to that site, or whatever,” she said. 

“Alone?” the Doctor asked. Jackie just looked at him. 

“I don’t know, I’m sure he called in some support,” she said. “Why?” 

The Doctor looked at Rose, and then moved to grab his suit coat he had draped over the couch. “Doctor, what’s wrong?” Rose asked. He sighed. 

“No one should go near that site. Even with protective gear, I was going to tell him, but I didn’t think he would just go running off,” he said, buttoning his coat. “Call him?” 

Jackie was already on the phone, and Rose was looking at the Doctor carefully. “Doctor, what’s so bad about it?” 

“It’s nuclear levels of radiation, Rose,” he said with careful eyes. “I don’t know what it is, but right now he needs to stay away. Everybody does, even you and me.” 

“He had to know that, though,” Rose said. “He’s not stupid.”

“No, but...he might be trying to make a point, I dunno,” he said. 

“So, what, then, this is my fault?” she asked, and he just looked at her. 

“You _know_ that’s not what I’m saying,” he said. “We’ve just got to stop him.” 

“He’s not answering,” Jackie said. “Go! Get him!” 

The Doctor grabbed Rose’s hand and bolted out the back door, heading straight to the TARDIS. Rose put her blocks up, which caused him to look at her, but she was feeling a lot of things at the moment and she just needed to sort it out. “I’m fine, just scan for him,” she said, and he did. 

He was on the road, about forty minutes away from the site, and the Doctor realized he and Rose had been sitting on that porch much longer than he realized. He quickly moved to where Pete was driving and Rose ran to the door, her mind flashing to the time when she was sitting in a cab, helping Donna jump into the TARDIS in a wedding dress. 

They were flying just under the highway, working quickly to line up with Pete. 

“PETE!” Rose shouted, swinging her arms above her head. “PETE!” 

The Doctor had to control the TARDIS, but he could see through the door, and saw the moment Pete realized they were there. He could see shouting through the car window, and Rose was shouting back, telling him to pull over. He watched him do just that, apparently angry, and the Doctor landed just below his car as he slammed the door and moved to the railing. 

“What are you two doing?!” he shouted. Rose shook her head. 

“Pete, the site, it’s too dangerous. The Doctor said no one should be there right now, you can’t go!” she shouted. 

“Oh, now his opinion is the one I should listen to?” Pete scoffed, and the Doctor groaned, moving to the door to stand next to Rose. 

She was handling it, though. 

“Oh, shut up,” she said, “That’s not fair and you know it. Just get in here and call off whoever you’re sending over.” 

“Rose, levels that high mean something is -” he protested, but now the Doctor jumped in. 

“Levels that high mean your entire body becomes an incubator of radiation in just a few minutes and you burn from the inside out,” he said. “Get in.” 

Rose felt a fury wash through her when he listened to the Doctor and not her, but she was also just too relieved to see him step aboard the TARDIS and she tried to let the anger go. She looked at the Doctor. 

“What about my car?” he asked. 

The audacity of the question made Rose lose it a bit. She didn’t mean to, but the next thing she knew, she had his car wrapped in a beam of light and the TARDIS was expanding the console to make room for her, and she left it safe and sound against the wall. She just gave Pete a look, who was staring at her. 

“There,” she said, and she stormed to their bedroom. The Doctor followed her with his eyes, and then watched Pete, who stared after her, stunned. 

“What….” he whispered, and the Doctor just sighed. 

“I told you. Doesn’t need protecting,” he said, and pulled the lever as he brought them back to the Vortex. “You can’t tell Jackie, Pete. I’ll have to erase your memory if you think you might. Rose has to be the one this time, you got that?” 

“What is it?” he asked, finally figuring out how to speak. The Doctor shook his head. 

“That’s for Rose to say, too,” he said. “But she’s fine. She’s safe, she’s human. She’s just...strong.” 

Pete just stared at him, and collapsed into the console seat. “Can...can you do that?” 

The Doctor burst into laughter. “No.” He could tell that didn’t make Pete feel better, and he sighed. “Can you keep this to yourself?” 

“I...I don’t know, Doctor. Jackie can always tell -” he whispered, and the Doctor looked at him seriously. 

“You, telling her about us, Rose is still upset about that. You have to make a choice. Either you keep it a secret until she’s ready or I erase your memory. And I...I really don’t want to do that,” he said. 

Pete sighed. “Do it.” 

The Doctor stared at him. “Are you sure?” 

“I would rather know there isn’t a chance of me screwing up what little bit of ground she and I still stand on,” Pete said softly. “And you said she’d tell us eventually.” 

The Doctor sighed, and moved to put his fingers on Pete’s temple. 

“Stop,” Rose said, suddenly standing in the archway, and they both looked at her. “Doctor, please. Don’t do that.” He lowered his hands immediately, and she moved to Pete. “I’ll tell mum when we get back.” 

“Rose, no, you - “ Pete started to say, but Rose just shook her head. 

“I almost did yesterday. I’ve been meaning to, it’s fine,” she said quietly. “But...I just…” 

“I’m sorry,” Pete said, and Rose looked at him. “For telling her about your marriage before. For not, erm. For not trusting you, Rose. I know you’re brilliant, but I…” She sat on her seat, still looking at him, and he sighed. “I always wanted a daughter. In the other universe, but Jackie...the other Jackie, she…”

“I know,” Rose said, rolling her eyes at the memory of the small dog. The Doctor sat now, watching Rose. Pete just nodded. 

“It’s different with Tony,” he said wistfully, but also a little sadly. “He was a baby when I met him. He didn’t have thoughts, or memories, or comparisons in his little mind the first time I looked at him. But you, Rose...you’re this whole, person, aren’t you? Grown up and strong and when I met you were chasing Cyberman out of my house.” Rose smirked, and Pete just shook his head. “I’ve never known how to be your dad, Rose. In many ways I feel like I haven’t earned it, so, I guess I opted for the overprotective role, the one who tried to make sure you were safe. But...you’re also married, so, even that role is…” 

Rose clenched her jaw, something she rarely did, and looked down at her hands. She had never thought about it from his perspective, just how strange all of this was for him, too. The same way it’s strange for her. And she knew, in that moment, that this rift in their relationship hurt him in the same way it hurt her. That both of them had these hopes that came crashing down, and they’d been doing their best for years, and clearly failing. She sighed. 

“Well, first of all,” she said, “I don’t need either of you protecting me.” Pete’s eyes darted to the Doctor’s for a moment, “And second of all...it’s similar for me, Pete. I always wanted a dad.” She didn’t say more, unable to without crying in that moment, but Pete just nodded. “Maybe we can just, I dunno, start over?” 

“I’d love it,” Pete said with a large smile, and Rose smiled back. He moved to hug her, and she stood to hug him, and they wrapped their arms around each other as the Doctor looked away, giving them a moment. Rose sniffed, some tears still having managed to fall, and she pulled back. Pete decided to give it a go, and let her in. “We do need to look at that site, though. Something is going on.” 

“I know,” Rose said. And suddenly a thought hit her, at the exact same time it hit the Doctor. 

“Oh, Rose Tyler!” he shouted, and began to press buttons like mad on the console. Pete stood, confused, and Rose ran off, returning a moment later with his orange spacesuit. He was putting it on quickly, and she was reading the screen. Pete didn’t dare ask what they were thinking yet, but he watched them in awe. They moved in perfect harmony, dancing around the console as if it's what they did everyday. He realized it probably was, and it hit him with a force; just how wrong he had been to doubt her.

The Doctor’s arms moved around her as he pressed a knob and she made a 360 degree turn as they switched places, and for a moment it seemed like their minds were one. Their eyes would glance at each other, as if reacting to a thought, and Pete just took it all in, utterly entranced as she zipped his suit and grabbed his helmet. She kissed him. 

Her eyes told him she wanted it back one piece. 

His eyes told her “Yes, sir.”

“I love you,” she whispered. 

“I love you, too,” he said, kissing her again as he put the helmet on. 

“What’s happening?” Pete finally asked, and the Doctor looked at him like he had completely forgotten he was there. 

Which, if he was honest, he _had._

“Right! Sorry, we parked at the site but we activated the TARDIS’ forceshield. Strong enough for Dalek lasers, it's plenty strong enough to repel the radiation. We’re in our own little bubble. HA! I’m wearing this as a precaution, but I’m going out there to see what I can find out, Rose is going to help be my eyes on here with you, and hopefully, well...hopefully we figure this out and go home,” the Doctor said. Pete opened his mouth to speak, but the Doctor was too excited to care, and he said something else to Rose that made her laugh as he pushed the doors open. 

Pete moved behind her, and watched on the screen. “But...he’s just...he’s on the ground. The radiation, wait…” He pulled up the tablet, getting the coordinates for the radiation source and looked at the map on the TARDIS. He frowned. “He’s just...on top of the radiation!” 

“Force shield, it’s pushing the radiation around us now,” Rose said. “He’s okay.” 

“How do you know?” he asked. Rose just looked at him. 

“A flash of light isn’t my only skill,” she said carefully, and Pete shut up, unsure he wanted to know what that meant. She smirked. 

Dads of all types it seemed, would rather not think about their daughter’s sex lives. 

Rose watched with a smile as the Doctor scanned for alien tech, and every reading he got went to the TARDIS. She was typing, zooming in on certain scans, trying to get a better understanding of what they were dealing with. 

_It’s coming from under the ground. I need a metal detector._

_Really?_

_Of course, Rose, how else would I be able to -_

_Lecture me later, yeah? Hold on._

They were both smiling, and she ran to the closet, somehow finding one in the millions of things he had collected over the years, and she tossed it out to him. He grinned at her as he caught it, and they both returned to work quickly, a little high on adrenaline. 

Pete wasn’t able to keep up, and he eventually sat in Rose’s usual seat and waited. 

_It’s not metal…_

_Okay, so it’s not a bomb or anything, which is good._

_Very good. Also, well...possibly worse? We’ll have to see._

_Do we dig it up?_

_Not yet. OOH! X-ray scanner! I have one I stole from a factory from New New Earth once. Funny story, actually, Rose, I was -_

He was telling her the entire insane story as she moved back to the storage closet and dug around for it. He sent her an image of what it looked like, and she eventually found it, her Instincts kicking in and helping her a bit, and she tossed it to him as well. 

There, on the screen, was a small creature with a curled tail, trapped in rock, clearly terrified. 

_It’s a Utail!_

_A what?_

_Utail! Small marsupial from the planet Ursine...Oh, poor thing, Rose, look at it!_

All they could see was the skeletal outline of the creature on the x-ray, but even though that they could tell it was trembling and trying to crawl out of the rock. The Doctor was grinning. 

Just this once, everybody lives. 

_They give out radioactive spores when they are afraid. My guess is it’s been here for a while, possibly as long as a century, and it’s been scared like this the entire time. The radiation has been building up slowly. If we remove it the radiation will vanish._

_Can we do that?_

_Oh, yes._

They worked quickly, the Doctor’s plan coming to him instantly, and Rose was thrilled. They used the lightning setting on the sonic to break open the ground, and the Doctor helped Rose find a strong enough sedative from the medbay that he could administer through a hole he drilled in the rock, and they watched as the Utail fell asleep and stopped moving. 

_The spores only get released if it’s awake, this will let us take it home,_ he said gleefully. 

Pete had fallen asleep too, and Rose smirked at him. She gave the Doctor a hand moving a glass box he usually keeps under the console so they could safely transport the Utail without having to touch it. Just in case, he put the spacesuit into a hazmat bag from the Infirmary until they could disinfect it, and he took the universe’s fastest shower just to make sure he was clean of any possible radiation before he touched or kissed Rose. He ran back into the console room with spiked hair he was fluffing with his hand as Rose locked the glass box with the rock inside. 

He was grinning madly at her, thinking she was positively brilliant as he set the coordinates for Ursine. Rose moved to him, glancing over at Pete, who was still sleeping. “I like your hair like this,” she hummed quietly, and his grin fell, turning into a slightly more seductive smile as she twisted the ends with her fingers. When she pulled on them slightly, he clicked his jaw. 

“Careful,” he murmured, looking at Pete. She just smiled, her tongue right he wanted it, and pressed her lips to his earlobe. He suppressed a moan. 

_I’m not doing anything with your father in the same room, Rose._

_Who said anything about staying in this room?_

She sauntered toward the bedroom, but he grabbed her arm and flashed her one of _his_ smiles that made her knees weak, fully aware of what he was doing. 

“Let’s get the cute but dangerous radioactive creature back home first, hm?” he asked, and she just bit her lip, watching him with lustful and playful eyes. 

She reigned it all in when Pete woke up. They had arrived, and Pete felt his stomach tighten when he realized he had never been to another planet before. He found himself terrified to step foot on the soil and he watched with wonder from the TARDIS door, once again realizing Rose knew much more than he did as they met with a local doctor and handed them the box, explaining the situation. The doctor, who had a curled tail like the Utail, thanked them and assured them they would take care of it. He gave them some of the planet’s most popular biscuits and let the Doctor use their disinfectant chambers to wash his suit before they returned to the TARDIS, where Pete still hadn’t moved. 

They were laughing when they walked up to him, hand in hand, the Doctor feeling on top of the world with Rose by his side as Pete just stared, and gave them both a sheepish look. “You alright?” Rose asked. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I just...I’ve been standing here for an hour, trying to tell myself it would be okay to touch the ground and I haven’t been able to do it. But you two...you do this everyday, don’t you?”

“Well,” the Doctor said, winking at Rose. “Some days we attend parties. This is much more fun.” 

Rose smiled and squeezed his hand. “Do you wanna try it, Pete?” 

“What?” he asked. She laughed. 

“Here, hold my hand. Stand somewhere new,” she said. The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS as Pete took a deep breath and gripped Rose’s hand tightly, his left foot stepping first, followed by his right. 

“Wow,” he said, his eyes locking with Rose’s. His eyes were sparkling, and she smiled at him. “It feels like home...Is it...I mean, always like that?” 

“Not always,” Rose said, “Most of the time, I s’pose.” 

They all laughed, until suddenly Pete’s eyes bulged. 

“We have to get back! Jackie is probably -” he started to say, but the Doctor calmly shook his head. 

“Time machine,” he said, patting his ship. “We can arrive a minute after we left if we want to.” 

Pete just stared at them. He knew that, of course, but there was something about being on the other side of it that was making his head spin. And he had another realization, that Rose and the Doctor usually pay them a visit every three to five weeks, but in their timeline it must be much longer, and he sighed. 

“I really don’t know anything, do I?” he asked, and both Rose and the Doctor looked at him. 

“Neither did I, once,” the Doctor said. “But that’s the power of time. Gives us all experiences and memories and, especially you lot, well...you learn. Exponentially fast in some cases.” 

He winked at Rose, who blushed. Pete just chuckled.  
“It’s amazing,” he said. “And...terrifying.” 

They all stood for a moment, before Rose led Pete back to the door, sensing it was a lot for him to process. “Let’s go home, then.” 

“Yeah,” he said. “Okay.” 

They arrived in the Tyler’s backyard two minutes after they left. The Doctor miscalculated ever so slightly, and Jackie was already running to them. She surprised them all when she didn’t immediately scold Pete, but instead just wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. Rose and the Doctor saw Mickey run to them, asking them how it went. 

“It all worked out,” Rose said softly, and Mickey let out a breath. 

“Your mum’s been worried sick about all of you. Thought you were all going to get radiation poisoning. I tried to tell her not to worry, but…” 

“Thanks, Mickey,” Rose whispered, and looked at her mother, who was still squeezing Pete. He was telling her everything went just fine and they stopped it, but she squeezed harder. 

It was now or never. 

“Mum?” she asked, and Jackie’s eyes shot open. “There’s something I need to tell you.” 

“You’re pregnant?” she asked, and Mickey groaned, aware of what she and the Doctor had been through a couple of weeks ago. The Doctor made his deflective face, sniffing and looking off to the side, trying to keep his heart rate even so Rose didn’t suspect his desires in any way, and she just rolled her eyes. 

“ _No,_ ” she said exasperatedly, “Remember what you said when we got here? About me belonging in the stars?” She watched as Jackie dropped her hold on Pete and looked at her curiously. She sighed. “And you remember when you and Mickey helped me open the heart of the TARDIS?” 

“Of course,” Jackie said. Rose took a deep breath, when her eyes suddenly fell on Tony. She shot a look at the Doctor, who clenched his jaw. Pete saw it, and for once understood what they were saying. He moved to take him to the playroom, aware that Rose didn't want to scare him. 

“The Doctor saved me, Mum. I never told you this, but...the reason he changed, the reason he regenerated was because he _saved_ me. He had to take the energy out of me,” she whispered. Mickey looked at the Doctor, as this was the first time he was hearing it, too, and the Doctor just looked at his feet. “He took the Vortex out of my mind but it cost him that life. But...well...for some reason I was able to hold onto some of it. And…” 

“Oh my God, you’re not human are you?” she whispered, cupping her face to Rose’s cheek. “I knew it. I said it, remember? On that horrible day.” 

The Doctor stiffened and Rose just sighed. “Mum,” she said. “I’m human. I’m still me. I just have some...powers. It helps me protect us.” 

“What are you talking about?” she asked. Rose bit her lip, and opened the doors to the TARDIS. She let out a beam of light with her hand and wrapped it around Pete’s car that was still in the console room, and moved it to the driveway on the other side of the house. Jackie just stared at her. 

“There’s that, and if I get hurt, I can heal myself,” she whispered. 

She had absolutely no idea how to explain their bonds and her Instincts, so she let them go. 

“Oh, Rose…” she said, and she cupped her face. Rose was staring at her, ready for a scolding of some sort, but Jackie just hugged her. And in that moment, Rose realized Jackie wasn’t afraid. And when she kissed her cheek, she realized it went further than that. She was...happy. And that made Rose’s stomach flip over as her mother squeezed her, suddenly kissing her other cheek. “But...oh, sweetheart...Will you live as long as him?” 

Rose’s eyes met the Doctor’s from across the yard, and she saw him visibly clench. They had hope and they had a lot of it, and she wanted to say yes. She wanted to say that they were working on it, but she couldn’t. Because she didn’t want to lie to her, and the fact of the matter was the answer was still just a single word. 

“No,” she whispered. 

Mickey placed a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder and squeezed, aware this was a touchy subject. Jackie just shook her head. For so long, the thought of her daughter becoming alien in any way sent a rush of anxiety through her she was unable to control. She used to have nightmares during the first couple of years after they met the Doctor about Rose’s fate. Dying on some faraway planet, or being turned into a robot or worse. 

Then came the parallel world. 

And for four months, she watched her daughter fight until she bled for a way to get back to the Doctor. She watched her ignore all pleas of reason from everyone. She watched her not sleep, she heard her cry. And she was on that beach when he found her. She saw them leap into each other’s arm. She saw the tears. She saw the pure love that swam between them on that day, and she knew then, without a shadow of a doubt, that her daughter was destined for something more. 

A mother’s intuition.

And for the last two years, she’d watched as they slowly figured it all out, and she found herself worrying about Rose’s fate for a different reason. Not that she would change, but that she wouldn’t. That she would leave the Doctor alone far sooner than either of them were ready for. She knew that would eat them both alive. 

He needed her and she needed him. 

And so this news made her happy. But the word ‘no’ resounded in her mind and she pulled back and looked at her. 

“Well,” she said softly, still cupping her face. “You two are just going to have to find a way to change that, aren’t you?” Rose stared at her in shock, and the Doctor moved to them then as well. Jackie grabbed him by the arm, and gave him a squeeze as well. “You two deserve it, saving the bloody universe every damn day.” 

The Doctor hugged her and felt all of Rose’s emotions mix with his own, making him tongue tied again. He pulled away and just looked at her gratefully, and Rose was crying. 

He found himself crying a little, too. 

“Oh, none of that,” Jackie said, wiping her own tears away. “Come on, I say we all watch some silly film and eat lots of junk food, yeah?” 

“Yeah, okay,” Rose said, letting out a small laugh. She hugged her mother again, and the Doctor kissed her, and suddenly Mickey was there, too, pulling her into a hug, 

“I’m gonna take off,” he told her. “I called Jack, officially took that job.” 

“I’m glad,” she said, smiling at him. “You still have to meet our friends, you know.” 

“Next time, when you come back?” he offered, and Rose just nodded. 

And they watched as Mickey hugged everyone goodbye and told them thank you, waving to them as a taxi took him away and on to his next journey. She knew they would see him before they knew it, but she still felt overwhelmed watching him go, a little like it did the first time, and the Doctor slipped his hand into her’s. 

She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her forehead as Jackie called their names, and the Doctor smiled at her. He was still feeling too many things to be able to sort through them in his head or tell Rose just how unbelievably grateful he was for her and everything she’s given him, including this perfectly imperfect Earth family, and so he just pulled her with him as he and Jackie bantered about how many toppings should go on the pizza they were ordering, a Simon Pegg film on in the background, with Tony pretending to be a dragon again. 

For a moment, all was right.

**Author's Note:**

> Lots and lots and family feels, hope you liked it! Next one will be out soon. Thank you as always for reading/kudos/reviews/ checking out this series! :)


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